The gallbladder (often incorrectly called the gallbladder) is an organ that belongs to the biliary tract. The gallbladder is located in the immediate vicinity of the liver. The main task of the gallbladder is to store bile. The most common disease of the gallbladder is gallstone disease, which can lead to inflammation of the gallbladder. Find out how the gallbladder is built, what the role of the gallbladder in the digestive system is and what diseases may affect the gallbladder.

The gallbladder(Latinvesica fellea ) is a pear-shaped organ, measuring an average of 8-10 cm in its longest dimension. The capacity of the gallbladder allows the storage of approx. 50-60 ml of bile. When the outflow of bile from the bladder is blocked, its lumen may be significantly enlarged.

Gall bladder - structure

There are 3 parts to the structure of the gallbladder: the neck, body and bottom. The cervix of the gallbladder is its narrowest part, connected directly to the alveolar duct. Gallstones are most often wedged in this location.

The cystic duct connects the gallbladder with the rest of the bile ducts. To understand how the gallbladder functions, it is helpful to understand the basics of the anatomy of the entire biliary tract. Bile is produced in the liver, from where - depending on the needs - it can go to the gallbladder or the intestinal lumen.

The transport of bile through the cystic duct can take place in two directions. The first option is to transport bile to the gallbladder for storage. The bile produced in the liver first goes to the common hepatic duct, and then through the cystic duct to the gallbladder lumen. There it can be stored until it is needed to digest the food.

The second variant is the transport of stored bile from the gallbladder to the small intestine. Bile should go there after eating fatty foods. In this situation, contraction of the gallbladder moves the bile back into the cystic duct and from there to the common bile duct. The common bile duct, on the other hand, has a connection with the small intestine, or more precisely - withduodenum. Thanks to it, bile can digest from the gallbladder into the intestinal lumen and be involved in the digestive process.

Gallbladder vascularization comes from its "own" gallbladder artery. The alveolar artery is one of the branches of the hepatic artery. The follicular artery plays a major role in gallbladder surgery. One of the most important steps in the removal of the gallbladder (called a cholecystectomy) is the closure of blood flow through the alveolar artery. It avoids major bleeding during surgery.

The walls of the gallbladder are made up of several layers of tissue. From the inside, its surface is lined with a mucosa covered with a cylindrical epithelium. The gallbladder epithelium is actively involved in concentrating the stored bile. The gallbladder wall also has a muscular layer. The contraction of the smooth muscles in the follicle wall causes it to contract and shift bile to the alveolar duct, and then to the intestinal lumen.

Gall bladder - Features

The gallbladder acts as a storehouse for bile. Bile is the secretion produced by the liver and is involved in the digestion of food, more precisely, of fats. The ingredients of bile allow for emulsification, i.e. breaking down fats into smaller particles. As a result, the surface of their contact with digestive enzymes increases, and the digestion process is faster and more effective.

The production of bile in the liver takes place continuously, while the digestion of food in our body takes place periodically. For this reason, there is a need to store the bile produced by the liver. For this purpose, a gallbladder was developed. During the interprandial period, the gallbladder is full of bile. After eating a meal, it is emptied and bile shifts to the lumen of the small intestine.

How does the gallbladder "know" it should release the stored bile? Our body uses hormonal signaling for this. A special hormone called cholecystokinin is produced in the digestive tract. Cholecystokinin is produced in the small intestine in response to the movement of food into its lumen. One of the effects of cholecystokinin is rhythmic contractions of the entire gallbladder.

Thanks to them, bile is moved from the gallbladder, through the common bile duct, to the inside of the small intestine. In addition to its storage function, the gallbladder also has a great influence on the composition of bile. The bile produced in the liver is thinned, but when stored in the gallbladder, it becomes denser.

The cells of the cylindrical epithelium lining the gallbladder play the main role in the compaction of bile. They have the ability to actively "extract" water molecules from bile, thus allowing it to thicken.

Gall bladder - diseases

Gall bladder problems can manifest as pain, postprandial discomfort, nausea and vomiting, and sometimes jaundice. Pain, the source of which is the gallbladder, typically occurs in the right hypochondrium and may radiate towards the right scapula. The basic examination for the diagnosis of gallbladder diseases is ultrasonography (USG), which allows for good visualization of both the walls and the contents of the gallbladder.

  • gall bladder stones

Gall bladder disease is the most common disease in this organ. The cause of gallstone disease is an abnormal composition of bile, resulting in the formation of gallstones. Disturbances in bile composition often result from its saturation with cholesterol and coexist with other metabolic abnormalities: obesity, insulin resistance or hypercholesterolaemia.

A typical symptom of gallbladder stones are seizures of the so-called biliary colic, i.e. pain in the area of ​​the right hypochondrium. Stones present in the gallbladder block the outflow of bile, which causes bladder distension and pain.

Biliary colic usually disappears spontaneously or after administration of painkillers and antispasmodics. Unfortunately, the symptoms of gallstone disease usually recur. The most effective way to treat gallbladder stones is to remove it, technically known as a cholecystectomy.

Cholecystectomy is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures. Currently, the removal of the gallbladder in many cases is performed laparoscopically, i.e. without opening the entire abdominal cavity - only small incisions are made to insert the camera and tools inside it. Although cholecystectomy can cure the symptoms of gallstone disease, it is worth remembering about the primary prevention of this disease - avoiding a high-calorie diet and regular physical activity.

  • cholecystitis

Gallstones can only cause temporary symptoms of biliary colic. Unfortunately, there are also more serious forms of this disease. One of the most common complications of gallstone disease is cholecystitis. Long-term blockage of the bile outflow from the bladder causes the development of inflammation.

There is a fever withchills, vomiting and severe pain. Inflammation of the gallbladder can be complicated by the formation of an empyema, which is a reservoir of pus inside the gallbladder. There is also a perforation (perforation) of the vesicle wall, the most serious complication of which is peritonitis. Cholecystitis is a serious condition that requires antibiotic therapy and surgical intervention. As in the case of uncomplicated gallstone disease, a cholecystectomy, i.e. removal of the gallbladder, is performed.

  • gallbladder polyps

Polyps of the gallbladder are small protrusions of the mucosa inside the gallbladder. The vast majority of polyps are benign. Polyps can be detected accidentally and do not cause any discomfort. In such cases, observation only is usually recommended. The indications for gallbladder removal may be polyps of large size (>10mm), rapid enlargement of polyps, the presence of clinical symptoms (e.g. pain) or suspected malignant nature of the lesion.

  • gallbladder cancer

Gallbladder cancer is a promising cancer, though fortunately rare. Gallbladder cancer does not cause any symptoms for a long time, so it is often detected in a highly advanced form. Gallbladder cancer is in many cases associated with long-standing gallstones. The best prognosis is for those patients in whom the tumor site was detected after the removal of the follicle for other reasons - then there is a good chance of a low stage of the disease. Gallbladder cancer, infiltrating nearby organs or forming distant metastases, has a much worse prognosis.

Category:

Gastrology